The elderly gentleman, seeing Fang Yuan mention his magnum opus, suddenly beamed with pride and said, "What is your name, young man? You can call me Master Fan. Say, you do indeed have the scent of Ho-Oh on you -- are you also here seeking Ho-Oh!?"
Master Fan... Fang Yuan looked at the old man whose attire resembled 'Chi's, and realization dawned on him -- it was indeed him.
Master Fan, a key character in "It's Decided, It's You!", was a researcher who had long pursued Ho-Oh, said to have been on the quest for over twenty years.
In his books there was much information about Ho-Oh, including the Rainbow Feather and the wave-guiding power, but since they couldn't be confirmed, most people took them as fiction.
However, his book was indeed the most detailed one about Ho-Oh, and ultimately, he succeeded in aiding Xiaozhi to become The Brave of the Rainbow with his knowledge!
Perhaps, he could ask this old man about Ho-Oh's information?
"It's probably because of this," Fang Yuan said, taking out the shimmering Rainbow Feather from his bosom.
The next second, Master Fan's expression showed astonishment.
"This... This is the Rainbow Feather?? Oh--"
Fang Yuan had given Master Fan too many surprises at once -- first with the invisible Wave-guiding power, and now with the Rainbow Feather. He stared at the feather, which cast out a charming radiance, his eyes wide as saucers, hands poised to touch the Rainbow Feather, yet instinctively not daring to defile such a dazzling feather.
"To speak of this radiance, it's as brilliant as a young man's..." Master Fan said, mesmerized by the feather.
Soon, Master Fan shook his head, coming out of his enchanted state, and looked earnestly and happily at Fang Yuan, saying, "Young man, you've actually obtained the Rainbow Feather, which means you have been chosen by Ho-Oh and possess the qualifications to become 'The Brave of the Rainbow'!!"
"Guided by the Rainbow Feather to see Ho-Oh, one will become The Brave of the Rainbow..." Master Fan said, recalling with emotion.
It was as if he was reminiscing about his own experiences.
"Master Fan, If I'm not mistaken, you've also received the 'Rainbow Feather' before," Fang Yuan said as he held out the feather, smiling at the old man.
If you want to touch it, just touch it, it's only a feather after all, and with the help of Dream, he had even transformed the feather into a Sealing Object...
In any case, this Master Fan was definitely no ordinary person.
The other party knew too much, even more about Ho-Oh than Dr. Oak did.
And for a human who could distinctly smell Ho-Oh, could it be possible that they've never encountered Ho-Oh?
"About that..."
Confronted with Fang Yuan's question, Master Fan seemed as if struck by an arrow in his heart, then he laughed heartily in defeat, saying, "Yes, as a young man, I indeed received the Rainbow Feather once, tested by Ho-Oh, but regrettably, I did not become The Brave of the Rainbow. It was only at the end that I realized what I had missed, which is why I've been pursuing Ho-Oh for so long."
"However, in the blink of an eye, for me, an old man, Ho-Oh's radiance is too dazzling to touch..." Master Fan sighed, shaking his head and refusing the Rainbow Feather offered by Fang Yuan, as he was no longer fit to touch it.
But then, his gaze suddenly became firm as he looked at Fang Yuan, saying, "Time flies and rainbows are fleeting; I no longer have the chance, but you, young man, since you've been chosen by Ho-Oh, that means you have the qualifications to become 'The Brave of the Rainbow'!"
"Are you seeking Ho-Oh? Well then, let this old man assist you."
"Allow me to help you become The Brave of the Rainbow!"
The future belongs to the young. Master Fan looked at Fang Yuan with a bright gaze, his only wish to see Ho-Oh once more.
This...
Fang Yuan smiled bitterly in his heart, though he had the Rainbow Feather, it wasn't given to him by Ho-Oh, but was an exchange for Legends Resources from the Earth Union. The Ho-Oh of this world, and the owner of this feather, weren't the same. Whether he could become The Brave of the Rainbow after meeting Ho-Oh, who knew.
However, if possible, Fang Yuan would certainly be willing to accept the challenge. Not to mention anything else, he would take a sackful of Holy Ash first for Monferno to have in reserve, and that was more useful than the Fire of Life.
"I am indeed searching for Ho-Oh," Fang Yuan said, thinking it would indeed be faster if this Ho-Oh expert, Master Fan, were willing to help him find Ho-Oh than if he were to search on his own.
"Bwoo!" On Fang Yuan's shoulder, Eevee also politely asked for the old gentleman's assistance.
"Mm, the fact that you've found Azure Mountain implies you've done certain research on Ho-Oh. This place is one of Ho-Oh's habitats. Many years ago, it was here that I undertook Ho-Oh's challenge with the help of the Rainbow Feather... but since then, Ho-Oh has not appeared again, as if it has vanished without trace for decades."
Master Fan shook his head, unaware that the shift in world lines meant Ho-Oh had already gone off traveling with Xiaozhi.
"Speaking of which, since you possess the Rainbow Feather and have come to Azure Mountain, the 'Guide of Shadows,' Mashaduo, should have concealed itself within your shadow to lead you...," Master Fan looked towards Fang Yuan's shadow and continued, "Its guidance is our next direction."
"Searching randomly like this, you won't find Ho-Oh."
"That... is indeed not happening," Fang Yuan said, but then again, maybe Rainbow Rock could only be found with Mashaduo's guidance?
"No, it's there. It's just that Mashaduo, as a Phantom Pokemon, has concealed itself in your shadow and gone unnoticed by everyone. It must have hidden in your shadow long ago."
"Master Fan, there really isn't one," Fang Yuan insisted.
At the moment, Mewtwo, x2 Celebi, Victini—four Pokemon with Invisibility—were by his side.
At the same time, Glutton and Darkrai were playing Go in his shadow.
With such a luxurious lineup, could Mashaduo, a single Phantom Pokemon, enter his shadow without notice?
If it had, Glutton and Darkrai wouldn't be playing Go right now, they would be playing cards instead.
"Not there??" Master Fan wondered aloud.
"Yep," Fang Yuan nodded, and as he did so, he glanced at his shadow. The next second, a small white hand emerged from the shadow, waved, then quickly retreated back into it.
Fang Yuan looked at the puzzled Master Fan and said earnestly, "My Gengar has always stayed in my shadow. If Mashaduo came to visit, there's no way it wouldn't know..."
"Ah, this..." Master Fan was taken aback.
"Then... maybe Mashaduo is hibernating? Or it went off to play," Master Fan suggested.
"Does Mashaduo hibernate..." Fang Yuan was exasperated, but he felt it was more likely that this feather didn't match with this world's Mashaduo, resulting in a glitch, after all, it was not a feather from the same Ho-Oh.
He had hoped to find Ho-Oh in two or three days, but it seemed it wasn't going to be easy... Maybe he should look for Rayquaza? That would also be difficult to find.
"No problem!!!" Master Fan exclaimed excitedly.
"Don't underestimate this old man. I have been pursuing Ho-Oh for decades. If I can't find Ho-Oh, I know all too well where Mashaduo likes to hang out. I'll take you to it!"
Fang Yuan, Eevee: Uh, this...
The old man is clever.